Clothes washing machine



May 18, 1948. J. T. slEFERT CLOTHES WASHING MACHINE Filed July 3l, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet. 1

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- tends up through the bottom wall of Patented May 1.8, I1948 UNITED sTATEs PATENT oFFlcE CLOTHES wAsnmG MACHINE John '1'. Siefert, Tacoma, Wash., assignor of onehal! to Leslie E. Stringer, Tacoma, Wash.

Application July 31, 1944, Serial No. 547,370 6 Claims. (Cl. 68-133) operation.

In the most common types of powered washing machines now generally in use in homes for the washing of laundry, there is a stationary tub having an agitator located centrally therein and fixed to the upper end of the tub. This drive shaft is oscillated by a driving connection .with a. motor, and thus a charge of clothes in the tub will be caused to be swished, rst one way, then the other in the wash Water. Due to the centrifugal action of a centrally locatedagitator,

the clothes and wash water -are thrown to the outside walls of the tub and the agitator does not produce the maximum results anticipated or desired of it. Furthermore, the circulation of water through the elothesis not accomplished to the extent desired.

In view of the above statement and for other reasons, it has been the principal object of this invention to provide improvements in washing machines of the agitator types, particularly in the construction, location and functioning of oscillating impellers, so that a. better, and quicker washing action will result therefrom.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a novel form of impeller, whereby its oscillating action will cause the wash Water to be continually drawn through and sprayed over the articles in the tub.

More specifically stated, the objects and advantages of the present invention reside in the provision of a washing machine having an impeller that is caused to be oscillated, and wherein the impeller comprises a horizontally disposed and somewhat dished base of disk-like form, or a tub-shaped container, in which the clothes to be washed are supported, and which, in either of its forms. is equipped at regular intervals about its periphery with vertically directed paddles or impellers which, incident to their oscillating movement, will cause wash water to be sucked through the clothes and, with each reversal of direction, to 'be sprayed, or splashed over the body of clothes in a manner that improves and expedites the washing operation.

A further object is to provide a washer that a drive shaft that ex- 2 does not tangle or knot the clothes, and does not in any way cause injury thereto.

A further object of this invention is to adapt one of the present types of agitators to new washs ing machines and to adapt another modification to washing machines that are already in use.

Still further objects of the invention reside in the details of construction of the various parts,`

in their combination in the machine, and mode of use for the intended purpose, as will hereinafter be fully described.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Fig. 1 is a central, vertical section of a washing machine equipped with an agitator embodied by the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a top view of the same; the tub cover or lid being removed for better showing of the construction and position of the agitator.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of an improved form of agitator with parts broken away for better understanding of its construction.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an agitator embodied by the present invention, in an alterna- -tive form, as adapted for application to washing machines that are already in use.

Figs. 5 and 6, respectively, are views diagrammatically illustrating .the action of the wash water in a tub as effected by each of the paddles with the reversal in direction of rotation of the agitator.

Fig. 7 is a view illustrating an alternative type of water impeller.

Referring more in detail to the drawings- First, referring to the washing machine as it has been shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3: i designates, in its entirety, the tub of the washing machine. It is here shown as being circular in form with verticalside walls and formed about its top edge with an outwardly and downwardly rounded flange 2 that ts over the horizontal top edge of a cylindrical housing 3 by which the tub is supc ported in position for use. The housing 3, in turn,

is supported by a plurality of legs il.

Mounted centrally within the tub is a tubular post 5 which, at its lower end, extends through an opening 6 in the bottom wall of the tub and is formed near that end, with an integral, en-

circling flange 1 that if riveted to the bottom wall about the opening 6 i: hold the post rigidly in position. Extended' up through the post is a drive shaft 8 which, at its lower end, has operative driving connection through suitable' transmission gearing. with a motor for causing it to oscillate; this gearing and the motor are not herein shown, since they, in themselves. are not parts of the invention. and they may be like those of any of the present-day washing machines now in use.

Provision is made in the present showing of the tub l, that it be drained through ports 8 in the ilange 'l that' open into the opening 8 in the bottom wall and into a chamber I in a housing I i that is fixed to the bottom wall about the shaft. This chamber has a discharge spout i2 to which a suitable fitting and hose may be applied for carrying off the water.

The upper end of the drive shaft 8 extends through and slightly beyond the upper end of the post, 5, as seen in Fig. 1, and this part of the shaft is splined and serves, as will presently be understood, to effect a driving connection with the agitator. i

Disposed coaxially within the tub l is the clothes container and agitator in one of its forms. This comprises the circular, tub-shaped container i 3, having vertical side walls IB and a dished bottom wall i6. This container is of slightly lesser diameter than the tub I, leaving clearance between them. Fixed centrally to the bottom wall i5, coairially of the container, is an upwardly extending, tubular post i8, open at its lower end and open to the under side of the tub. This post is. of such inside diameter as to freely receive the post 5 therein, as seen in Fig. 1.

When the post I8 is applied over post 5, as seen in Fig. l, the splined upper end portion of shaft il locks in the closed upper end portion of post i8, as at i 9, to provide a driving connection through which oscillating action of the shaft t is transmitted to the clothes container i3.

Fixed within this container, at regularly spaced intervals about its side wall, are vertical paddles 25, each of which comprises a substantially nat plate, xed to the container in a 'plane that is radial of the tub. The paddles are of such length that they extend from the bottom wall i5 to just below the top edge of the side walls i5. Each plate, impeller or paddle, is equipped at its upper end with upwardly and laterally curved wings 2li-26', which are directed toward opposite sides of the paddles and so shaped and disposed that water directed thereagainst, from below, will be caused to be thrown or sprayed across the tub in a fan-like direction or form. Preferably, the inside edges of the upright paddles are corrugated as at 21.

A lid or cover is removably applied to the top of tub i whenthe device is in use. This is shown in Fig. 1. The container Isis drained through a plurality of suitable openings or perforations 3l in its bottom wall I6. as shown best in Fig. 2, into tub i. Sediment or dirt that works to the central part of the container during la washing operation will pass through these perforations and be segregated from the clothes being washed.

Assuming that the washingmachine is constructed as illustrated in Fig. 1, and that laundry and a required amount of wash water have been placed in the clothes container, it will be understood that the washing operation is effected by the oscillating action of the container through its connection with the drive shaft 8. Water should be at about the level of line W in Fig. 1.

The washing action is greatly expedited by the impeuers or padmes in their eiiect on the water, as has been indicated. by arrows in Figs. 2, 5 and 6. In Figs. 2 and 5, the direction of travel of container and paddles is indicated by the arrow d. 'I'he clothes that are confined in the container are caused to crowd tightly against the forward face of the paddle (considering its direction of travel) and there will be an open water pocket formed along its back face. Then, when the direction of oscillation of the agitator is reversed, as has been indicated by the direction arrow d, in Fig. 6, the paddle forcibly drives back against the water that has collected in the pocket, and the only escape from thiswater is upwardly along the face of the paddle, as indicated by the arrows w in Fig. 6. This water, thus expelled upwardly along the paddle. on striking the wing 28, is deected inwardly and somewhat upwardly in a sort of fan-like spray, falling over the charge of clothes in the container. Such a spray from the paddles is indicated by the arrows s in Fig. 2. This water then seeps down through the clothes toward the bottom of the tub and then nally again moves outwardly, due to suction and centrifugal action, to the paddles. Each reversal of direction of oscillation of the container, causes each paddle to throw such a spray of water over the clothes.

In Fig. 4, I have shown an agitator of an alternative type and adapted to be placed in a tub of a machine that is already in use upon removal of the original agitator from the drive shaft d. This agitator comprises a dished, horizontally disposed base disk 40, with a, central, tubular mounting post di applicable over the drive shaft d of the washing machine. Fixed to the periph ery of the disk de at regular intervals, are paddles 25' like those paddles 25 of the device of Fig. 1, and serving in the same way for the same purposes. In using this form of device. it is intended that it shall replace agitators of the usual types. It differs from the device of Fig. 1 in that it eliminates the vertical side walls i5 of the container.

As a detail of construction, both in the disclosures of Figs. 1 and 4, the base disks, i6 or tu, which mount the paddles at their peripheries, are radially ribbed for stiffness; the ribs being in the form of downwardly depressed channels 45 which serve additionally as outlets for water forced or drawn outwardly from the center of the container to the faces of the paddles.

In Fig. '7, I have shown an alternative type of impeller. This includes the same type of spray head portion as used on the impeller already described, but instead of having a fiat, vertical body plate, it comprises two diverging legs 25a and 25h which are nxed at their lower end to the edge of the bottom wall I6 or 40 and slope symmetrically to the wings 26 and 26'. With this type of leg, the water has an easier ejection against the wings and gives a more effective spray. Thus,

for some reasons, this type of impeller is more desirable than that first described. In the impeller of Fig. '7, it is desirable that flanges as at 25a: shall close the back sides of the wings on each impeller.

It is anticipated also that in some instances it may be desirable to apply impellers or paddles, as herein employed, on the center post in a manner to cast water over the clothing and I do not necessarily wish to confine the use of such paddles to the outside of the washer tub.

It will be understood that with each reversal of direction of the agitator, either as in Figs. ,1, i or Fig. 7, suction created at the back side of a paddle incident to its forward travel, will cause the open water space to be lled with water drawn through the clothes from the center, and this water will subsequently be forced upwardly by the combined pressure of paddle and clothes when the direction of the agitator is again reversed. The cupping of the wings 26-26 at the upper ends of the paddles is such that the water can be caused to be sprayed over the clothes in a direction toward or across the center of the tub and the shaping of these wings might be changed as desired to obtain different effects on the water.

Such machines have proven exceptionally effective, and greatly lessen the time usually required for clothes washing.

It is to be understood that details of structure might be varied to some extent without departing from the spirit of the invention, and therefore it is not desired that the claims shallbe confined to details but that they be given an interpretation that is commensurate with the scope of the invention that has been disclosed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein anddesire to secure by of vertical impellers mounted on the bottom memberl in spaced relationship and adjacent the side wall of said tub, and means for imparting rotary. oscillating motion to the said bottom member; said impellers comprising plates set in planes that are radial of the agitator axis and adapted to effect the upward deflection of streams of wash water therealong with each reversal of direction of the agitator, and equipped at their upper ends with wings that are sloped upwardly and inwardly from the tub wall toward the center of the tub for the deiiection of the said water streams over the articles in the tub.

2. In a washing machine, a tub for wash water, an agitator of tub-shaped character disposed with operating clearance within said tub and adapted to hold a charge of articles for washing. and means for causing a rotary oscillating motion to be imparted to the agitator; said agitator having a perforated bottom wall for the ow of wash water between tub and agitator land having a plurality of up-right impellers fixed therein at spaced intervals adjacent its side walls; each impeller comprising a plate set in a plane radial of the agitator axis and with opposite faces designed to effect the upward deilection of streams of water therealong with the reversal in direction of oscillation of the agitator, and each 6 bottom thereof, means axially supporting the' agitator and for imparting rotary oscillating motion thereto, impellers xed in upright position to the disk in spaced relationship about its periphery and adjacent the walls of the tub; each of said impellers having opposite side surfaces designed to effect the upward deection of streams of Water therealong when the direction of oscillation of the agitator is reversed, and water deflecting wings at the upper ends of said impel-lers that are sloped upwardly and inwardly from the tub wall toward the center of the tub and whereby the said upwardly directed plate having laterally curved wings at its upper end that are sloped upwardly and inwardly from the tub wall toward the center of the tub and whereby the upwardly deflected streams of water will be caused to be diverted inwardly over the articles in the agitator.

3. A washing machine comprising a stationary cylindrical tub for wash water and a charge of articles to be washed. an agitator in the tube comprising a. dished, disk-like base member horizontally disposed in the tub adjacent the streams of water will be caused to be diverted over the articles in the tub; said base member of the agitator being formed with radial channels leading to the lower ends of the impellers for the centrifugal delivery of water to the impellers.

4. In a washing machine comprising a cylinrical tub, an agitator mounted in the tub for rotary oscillation coaxially thereof and beneath the artic-les being washed; an impeller fixed on l the agitator for travel adjacent the side wall of the tub for the upward deectipn of water therealong with each reversal in direction of oscillation of the agitator, and wings at the upper end of the impeller that` curve upwardly and inwardly to form inwardly and upwardly sloping inverted troughs for the deection of the water streams onto the articles in the tub.

5. In a washing machine comprising a tub.' a horizontally disposedv oscillating agitator therein, an impeller on the agitator spaced away from the axis of oscillation for travel near the side wall of the tub and comprising opposite side surfaces converging upwardly and along which streams of water will be deflected upwardly with each reversal in direction of oscillation of the agitator; said surfaces terminating at the upper end of the impeller in laterally turned wings that are sloped upwardly and inwardly from the container wall toward the center of the tub and whereby said upwardly' deflected streams of water will be diverted toward the axis' of oscillation.

6. A washing machine comprising a tubshaped agitator, means for supporting and imparting rotary oscillating motion to the agitator. and an impeller fixed in the agitator adjacent the side wall and comprising an upright body with ,opposite side surfaces designed to cause the upward deiiection of Water therealong upon re-v versal of direction of oscillation, and wings at the upper ends of said body that are sloped upwardly and inwardly from the said side wall toward the center of the tub and for the inward diverting of the upwardly deflected water over contents of the agitator.

JOHN '1'. SIEF'ERT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are-of record in the ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES .PATENTS Number Name Date 663,296 Newkirk Dec. 4, 1900 1,688,031 Altorfer Oct. 16, 1928 1,730,238 Perkins Oct. l, 1929 2,156,541 Misenhimer May 2, 1939 2,303,979 Blake Dec. '1, 1942 

